Tiger Woods on return to Masters: 'I am a walking miracle'

We're less than a week away from seeing Tiger Woods tee it up at The Masters as one of the favorites to win the tournament - something most golf fans had abandoned hope of ever witnessing again after Woods had his fourth back surgery in the last three years in 2016.

Tiger Woods said earlier this month that in the darkest days of his recovery, he needed help just to get out bed and was in extreme pain. After his last surgery, a spinal fusion, Woods has not only returned to competitive golf, but has also regained the explosiveness and distance he possessed in his prime.

Were it not for a few missed putts on Sunday, Woods may have won the Valspar Championship in his fourth start back, and he heads to Augusta with 9/1 odds of winning in Vegas - the same as Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas. In a blog post on his own site, Woods called himself a "walking miracle."

"Six months ago the odds were I wasn't even going to play…. I got a second chance on life. I am a walking miracle."

Woods also said that attending the annual Champions Dinner last year while being unable to play was a painful experience.

"It's been tough just going to the dinner. I'm not retired. Watching the guys and hearing their excitement about playing was difficult. It was also sad not having Arnold [Palmer] there. It left a big void."